From factories to knowledge-based II

As we explored in my last post the American economy over the last two decades has transitioned from a factory-based to a knowledge-based economy. Manufacturing employment declined by 32 percent and employment earnings per capita fell by 29 percent. While knowledge-based services saw employment growth of 32 percent and employment earning growth per capita of […]

From factories to knowledge-based

Our work at Michigan Future is focused on understanding the changes occurring in the American economy largely due to globalization and technology and how to be successful in that economy. Our interest is in the long term structural changes in the economy, rather than year to year (or even shorter term) largely cyclical changes. For […]

Minnesota or Indiana? III

As we have seen Minnesota has better economic outcomes on every metric that matter to families trying to pay the bills and save for their retirement and their kids college education. Its not close. The main reason for the out performance is that Minnesota is over concentrated in the knowledge-based service industries that have faster […]

Minnesota or Indiana? II

So if so-called business friendly policies, as we explored in my last post, is not the path to more and better jobs, what is? Lets explore how the Minnesota and Indiana economies have been changing over the past two decades to try to find the answer. As we saw in the last post the main […]

Minnesota or Indiana?

I want to update a column I wrote for Dome in November 2011. Entitled “Model state for Michigan’s future?” I wrote then: The Mackinac Center for Public Policy on Monday is hosting an event with Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels as the featured speaker. This is a continuation of a decades-long tradition of inviting Indiana governors […]

A relevant state ranking

We have written previously about how irrelevant state business climate rankings are to whether or not a state’s residents are doing well economically. Here about the recent CEOs ranking according to Chief Executive Magazine. And here about the widely publicized Tax Foundation State Business Cost Rankings. These are the reports that rank Indiana as the […]

Metro NYC winning

As we explored in my last post, 25-34 year olds with a four year degree or more are concentrating in big metros, with a high proportion living in their central cities. Seventy four percent of young professionals are living in one of the 54 regions with a population of one million or more and in […]

Michigan’s share of young talent

One of the questions I’m now asked most frequently is “how is Michigan doing compared to other states in retaining and attracting recent college graduates?” Good question and encouraging that it is being asked more frequently. Folks seem to be understanding that where recent college graduates choose to live after college matters to Michigan’s future […]